President Donald Trump’s planned 250-foot triumphal arch is moving toward construction even as parts of the federal approval and legal process remain unfinished and a legal challenge continues.
Interior Secretary Doug Burgum said Thursday that excavation is expected to begin within two weeks at Memorial Circle on Columbia Island, near Arlington National Cemetery.
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The structure is intended to mark the nation’s 250th anniversary. Renderings depict a pale arch trimmed in gold, with sculptures and an observation area incorporated into the design. “ONE NATION UNDER GOD” appears across it.
Burgum called it one of the “Great Pieces of American Architecture” and said it would honor Arlington National Cemetery and the capital.
Work could begin before final approval
The U.S. Commission of Fine Arts approved the design in May. The National Capital Planning Commission followed with preliminary approval in July.
But the planning commission has not given final approval, and the project’s historic-preservation review also remains unfinished, according to the The New York Times.
The National Park Service has endorsed Memorial Circle for the project, though its preservation analysis identified effects on views connecting several nearby historic sites.
The project also remains under aviation review. CBS News reports that an earlier FAA study called for red obstruction lights on the arch.
National Park Service documents estimate construction could take two to three years, with work continuing up to 20 hours a day year-round.
Lawsuit seeks to stop construction
Three veterans and an architectural historian have sued to stop the project, arguing the administration cannot build it without authorization from Congress.
The Justice Department moved Thursday to have the case dismissed.
Burgum has pointed to planning documents from the early 1900s that contemplated a formal monument or architectural feature on Columbia Island, arguing that history supports putting the arch at Memorial Circle today.
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